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GameLore Wiki:Manual of Style
This document describes (in brief) how to edit pages on GameLore. GameLore is a Semantic wiki, meaning that the links between pages have additional semantic information that allow automated processes to access or manipulate the information on this wiki. The Semantic information and links enable automated queries, cohesive designs, and so forth. For more information, please read the following: * Design * Editing Pages In addition, automated processes occasionally update data on this wiki. Following the guidelines will also ensure that the automated processes do not mangle your information (or delete it). Content Bounds There are games about EVERYTHING. So what should go in this wiki? The general rule of thumb is that settings that are based on other media, such as TV shows, books, or movies, should not be in this wiki. Settings based on media generally have a different "style" than a game-based setting. Therefore, information about Star Wars games, Game of Thrones, anime series, and so forth do not belong here. Likewise, games without a significant setting should be avoided. To have a significant setting, the game designers must spend some effort developing a backstory. If the game is set on Earth, there must be some noted difference - existence of magic, aliens, or something similar. Of course, there are some exceptions: * Games that are games within a TV show are allowed. For instance, the duel creatures in Yu-Gi-Oh are fine, but the human characters do not belong. Likewise, the Mystic Warlords of Ka'a game, originally appearing on Big Bang Theory, is fine. * The Cthulhu mythos, though it originally appeared in Lovecraft's original horror tales, has evolved into a modern myth. It has appeared in numerous games, even when it doesn't form the center of the game. Therefore, elements of the Cthulhu mythos are allowed. * Games released as part of a suite of products, where the game(s) are the most relevant element, are allowed - even if a show preceded the game by a few months. We want to distinguish between a game adaptation of a show (which should not be here) and a game/show combination that were developed in combination (which should be). For instance, the dot-Hack game series is acceptable, even though the anime series appeared two months before the game. Page Naming Pages for individuals should use the full name of the individual, when known. Characters that are well-known by their first name within a particular game might have a redirect page for the character's first name (or a disambiguation page). There may be multiple characters who share the same name, particularly for characters who may be only known by their first name. In these cases, the page should have the character's name followed by the setting in parentheses. There are no preferred games - one game does not have "preference" for a name. The exception to the above rule is where there is a clear first-named being, typically when one is a mythological god. Athena, the Greek goddess has preference for the name; other characters named after her (or planets, spaceships, whatever) should follow the parenthetic convention. Another example would be a common creature like Cyclops. For monsters, the wikipedia spelling will be the preferred spelling. Thus, this wiki uses Griffin instead of Griffon or Gryphon. Alternate spellings should be redirect pages. Characters and other Individuals Individual characters feature prominently in many games. Heroes, villains, and even aides are characters or individuals. A character is a member of a recognized Race, such as human or elf. Characters can have classes or character roles. Individuals are individual creatures that do not belong to a race. Dragons are a good example - Nicol Bolas is an individual, not a character. Other types of individuals are Deities and Entities. A Deity is a god, sustained by worship and who have an organized clergy. Entities are uniquely powerful immortal beings that are not gods (though the distinction may be fuzzy), such as demon lords. This also includes immortal creatures from myth, such as Cerberus. Another type of individual creature is the Pet. Pets are members of (usually) non-sentient races that are bonded to a character, either through affection or magic. Familiars (such as a witch's black cat) and mounts are also considered pets. Creatures and Species Many pages in this wiki are devoted to providing information on the different types of creatures found in various games. Furthermore, in many cases, a game may use a term that does not coincide with common usage. This is not unique to games, as descriptions of monsters in folklore can vary widely. In this wiki, creatures have a general description, and species are specific types that fall into those categories. Just because a game uses a term for a monster does not actually make it that creature in this wiki - review other creatures to determine whether it fits. Templates All content pages (that is, pages that are about in-game information) must use one of several templates. These templates make it easier for the wiki to perform queries, which generate the tables you may see on various pages (in addition to other things). Do not create pages with the Visual Editor, or create pages with "loose" text. Use of Forms When you want to create a page, determine which category it should belong to. You can review the full Category Tree to help you determine the proper category. Each form has a number of fields. Review the Help page for the form to determine what each field means, and what types of entries are valid Categories Do not add categories to your page using the normal wiki markup. The categories are included within the templates, and will be automatically added. In the GameLore wiki, categories are not as much markers or keywords as classifications of things. Artwork and other Files Artwork should have an artist associated with it. The largest dimension of any artwork should be at least 400 pixels. Avoid images with text overlays. Artwork should ONLY include official art. No fan art. Other types of image files are limited to the following: * Symbols for organizations. These should be PNG format, with transparency where appropriate. The symbol should be at least 250x250 pixels, and it should be named exactly the same as the organization it represents, with a ".png" extension. So the symbol for the organization "Big Bad Brothers" should be "Big Bad Brothers.png". By following this convention, the organization symbol will automatically appear in the infobox for that organization. Comments Avoid comments on pages, unless they actually contribute to the page topic (and in that case, the content should probably appear in the main article). Comments to the effect of "That's cool" should be avoided, and will be deleted. We already know these things are cool. That's why we're here. But adding comments like that is more for the poster's benefit than the article's. Comment to the game designer, publisher or artist - most of them have Facebook accounts. Links to Other Sites Links to other sites should be minimal, and only to refer to pages that delve deeper onto the main page. Each setting or world can include a link to another wiki, which would be devoted to that particular game, game world or setting.